STORIES FROM THE PAST

50 years ago

Yesterday Imperial Valley sports fans said “Yes!” to Ron Jesse.

Twelve donations representing $273 came to this office to guarantee that Jesse will represent Imperial Valley in the Amateur Athletic Union championships in Bakersfield next week. In addition, the El Centro Eagles passed a resolution last night to cover additional expenses the Valley’s prodigious track star might incur in competition this summer.

“I’m ready for Bakersfield,” Jesse said this morning upon learning that all his expenses were guaranteed.

Thus the Ron Jesse Track Fund went over the top after one week.

“That’s just tremendous,” said Don Rogers, the Imperial Valley College coach who will accompany Jesse to Bakersfield.

“I’ll make travel and accommodation arrangements immediately,” he said.

Rogers will also instruct Pasadena Athletic Association that Jesse would not accept its invitation to compete under Pasadena’s name.

30 years ago

When Sheridan Allen came out of her kitchen with a glass of cold water for her 3-year-old son, Bobby, she was horrified. Bobby was standing on top of a coiled rattlesnake spraying the snake in the mouth with a water hose.

That was almost two weeks ago but the voice of Sheridan Allen, who lives in one of the Imperial Irrigation District houses at drop 4 on the All-American Canal, still shakes when she recalls how Bobby was bitten by the snake and survived without too much damage.

“I am reading everything I can about snakes and snake bites,” she said, and her experience has taught her that much of what people think they know about reading snake bite is wrong.

There may or may not be more snakes in the Valley this spring but snakes are always plentiful in the desert and particularly plentiful around canals.

“I have lived here since 1979 and we have never had a snake in the yard before,” she said, although drop employees have killed snakes around the drop area on the canal.